The Crafter Artisan is one of the 16 role variants of the Keirsey Temperament Sorter, a self-assessed personality questionnaire designed to help people better understand themselves. David Keirsey originally described the Crafter role variant; however, a brief summary of the personality types described by Isabel Myers contributed to its development. Crafters correlate with the ISTP Myers-Briggs type.
Crafters are tactical operators, concrete in speech and utilitarian in action. Crafters tend to be drawn toward using tools of any type—artistic (musical instruments), technological (computers), or martial (weapons). Although they are introverts, they are authoritative in their interactions with others and can be forceful. They focus on accomplishing tasks efficiently and skillfully. To master the tool of their interest, Crafters require a certain degree of seclusion in which to practice. The result is often a virtuosity that other types find difficult to match.
For illustrative purposes, Keirsey and his son, David M. Keirsey, have identified well-known individuals whose behavior is consistent with a specific type. Unless otherwise noted, the categorization of the individuals below, whether living or dead, as Crafters is a matter of expert opinion rather than the result of the named individual taking a personality type inventory.